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Maldives holidays conjure up images of white sands, swaying palm trees
and crystal blue waters, creating a picture-perfect holiday bliss.
Explorer Travel's hand-picked islands offer first-class, luxurious
accommodation, spectacular diving and enchanting, dazzling sunsets for
romantic memories.
Anyone who has ever dreamed of escaping to a
tropical island basking in year-round sunshine, surrounded by sparkling
white, palm-fringed beaches and turquoise seas will find that the real
thing exists in abundance in the Maldives. For this chain of more than
1000 coral islands strung out across the Indian Ocean consists entirely
of serious contenders for the title of paradise.
History>
Cuisine>
Shopping>
Key Facts>
Map>
Climate>  History
12th century
The first recorded ruler is Theemugey Maha
Kalaminja. This Buddhist king and his subjects are converted to Islam by
Abul Barakaath Yoosuf Al Barbary from Morocco. The king changes his name
to Mohamed Ibn Abdulla and reigns as Sultan until 1166.
16th century
In 1512, the Portuguese arrive, aided by an
ex-sultan converted to Christianity. The invaders are wiped out in 1573
with the help of Indians from Malabar.
19th century
In 1887, a protection agreement is signed with
Britain. In return the British receive annual tribute, which continues
as late as 1948.
21st century
The tsunami of December 26, 2004 sweeps over the
Maldives. Of the 87 resorts, 19 are closed. Because each island has its
own infrastructures for sewerage treatment and power and water supply,
the after-effects are not as severe as originally feared
 Cuisine
The
fish is abundant, and so are coconuts, used as a cooking ingredient, in
mixed drinks or as a refresher, straight from the nut.
Maldivians eat
fish for every meal-even breakfast. The local catch is mostly tuna,
bonito and skipjack. Some sweet potatoes, yams and manioc are grown but
the only cereal crops are maize, millet and sorghum. Onions and chillis
are there to spice things up. There is little in the way of fruit:
you'll see breadfruit and three kinds of banana.
 Shopping
In
Male, a lot of the goods on sale will be standard souvenir paraphernalia
imported from elsewhere. For more interesting gifts, look out for the
following products "made in the Maldives".
There are some fine local handicrafts, in particular the traditional
lacquered wooden boxes, bowls and vases, strikingly designed in brightly
coloured patterns.
Attractive and uniquely Maldivian mats, made from either reeds or
coconut leaves and coir (the fibrous material from the outside of
coconut shells), are hand-woven by craftsmen and women out on the
islands.
Maldivian jewellery-necklaces, rings and bracelets-are fashioned from
local materials such as mother-of-pearl.
In a different vein, but still showing a typically exuberant taste for
colour, Maldivian postage stamps are always very bright and popular with
collectors. And T-shirts printed in Male, usually covered in brilliantly
coloured tropical fish, are an unmistakable declaration of your feelings
towards the island nation.
More unusual-and bulky-mementoes include the gudu-gudu, a Maldivian
hookah which you will see people smoking out on the islands, and a bodu
beru, the traditional drum.
 Key Facts
Airport
All flights from overseas arrive at Male International
Airport, located on its own island a short distance from the capital.
The terminal at Male has a bank where you can change money, but it's
unlikely you will need very much local currency as payment for all
facilities can be added to your hotel bill. There is also a snack-bar,
tourist shop, information office and, when you have gone through customs
on departure, fairly extensive duty-free facilities. Before leaving the
Maldives you will have to pay a departure tax in US dollars.
The most inaccessible resorts are reached by seaplane. Two companies are
based at the airport. Maldivian Air Taxi (MAT) and Trans Maldivian
Airways (TMA) land on the lagoon nearest to the resort island, to be met
by dhonis that take you to shore. Air Maldives transfers can be
pre-purchased from the UK.
Credit Cards
All the resorts and larger hotels in Male take
the main credit cards and charge in US dollars. On the resort islands,
you can sign for meals, drinks, day trips, gifts from the shop and hire
of diving equipment and pay by credit card at the end of your stay,
making a Maldivian resort a virtually cashless society.
Customs Allowance
You are allowed to take with you sufficient
quantities of cigarettes, tobacco or cigars for personal use. It is
illegal to bring into the country alcohol, drugs, pornography (which can
be interpreted quite widely by the Maldivian authorities), pork,
firearms or idols for worship.There is a government ban on the export of
all products related to the killing of turtles, such as carvings made
from their shells.
Health
Health facilities, hygiene and disease risk vary
worldwide. You should take health advice about your specific needs as
early as possible through either your general practitioner or a
specialist clinic.
Language
The language spoken in the Maldives is Dhivehi, also
written as Divehi, and is unique to the country. English is widely
spoken and Maldivians are more than happy to converse in it.
Passport
We can advise passport and visa requirements only for
British and Irish passport holders at the time of booking. For
non-British passport holders and for British passports endorsed in any
way, requirements should be checked with the nearest relevant embassy.
Post Office
The main post office is in Male, on Chandani Magu,
and opens daily, except Friday, 7.30 a.m.-6 p.m. On the resort islands,
stamps are available at the resort shop and postcards and letters can
generally be posted in the reception area.
Shops
Most shops are open any time between 6 and 9 a.m.
(though later on Friday) and can close as late as 9-11 p.m.
Time
The Maldives is 5 hours ahead of GMT. As it is on the
equator, sunrise and sunset occur at roughly the same time all year
round, at about 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. There's no daylight saving time, and
the country is 4 hours ahead of British summertime and 3 hours ahead of
European summertime. (Some resorts change their clocks to maintain
longer periods of sunshine.)
Toilets
There are public toilets in Male, but you might prefer
to head either for the large STO building on Orchid Magu, which has
toilets on every level, or else the larger hotels, most of which are
unfortunately away from the shopping area at the east side of the island.
Transport
Visitors soon find that going just about anywhere
within the Maldives involves a boat trip. The basic craft, the Maldivian
dhoni, mainly plies its trade as a taxi between the airport, Male and
the nearer resorts. They can be hired for single trips or by the day,
but with a speed of around 10 km per hour, they are unlikely to take you
very far. For longer distances you can travel in jetset-style by
seaplane. If you want to fly south of the equator to Gan you can book
onto a scheduled Air Maldives flight.
More down-to-earth taxis operate in Male. It is small enough to walk
around, but in the midday sun an air-conditioned cab to take you back to
your hotel might seem like a very good idea. There are at least ten
different taxi firms to choose from.
Map
 
Climate
The
following climate information has been supplied by the Meteorological
Office, local tourist offices and other sources and is given as a guide
only.
Straddling the equator, the Maldives is one of those countries
where the idea of seasons becomes meaningless. Temperatures vary little
throughout the year, ranging between 25.4deg.C (78deg.F) and 30.4deg.C
(87deg.F). On average, there are more than 2,500 hours of sunshine
annually. Luckily, there are often very pleasant breezes off the ocean.
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